Vanessa Troiani, PhD is an assistant professor at Geisinger’s Autism and Developmental Medicine Institute. As a strong proponent of collaboration, Vanessa encourages her staff to work together and with other departments to design, implement and conduct research studies.

She always shows grace and integrity under pressure and is quick to look at a situation objectively. As a role model for objectivity, Vanessa coaches her staff to examine situations from others’ point of view, consider the challenges they may be facing and avoid making assumptions about their intent. Her passion and commitment to use her skills as a neuroscientist to make a difference in the world is evident in how much time she spends with her staff in one-on-one meetings to discuss progress and/or resources needed to make each research study a success. A great listener and leader, Vanessa provides a strong sense of community among the staff, nurtures collaboration and makes staff proud of their contributions to the groundbreaking work accomplished in the research area.

Moments that matter -- What others say about Vanessa Troiani

“Over the past two years, Vanessa has inspired me to push myself to be a more transparent leader who takes ownership for her mistakes and leads by example. She says often that the only thing we can count on is that people are human and mistakes are inevitable — so you need to accept them, figure out how to rectify the situation and move forward. The environment she has created allows our team to prosper and try new things without the fear of failure, leading to successes we may never otherwise have known. She pushes us to think outside the box, bring ideas to the table and learn new skills to grow professionally. Her confidence in taking on massive projects that seem out of reach is exciting. Her drive, dedication and focus on making a difference are inspirational. She has taught me to be a confident leader whose greatest success is recognized in the success of her team members.”